Creativity Kick-starts
Seven Sources of Inspiration
Some days, inspiration is everywhere and I want to draw ALL THE THINGS. Other days… not so much. We’ve all been there. The muse is a fickle, capricious thing and creativity doesn’t always come easily. So here’s a few things I do when I feel, well, nothing.
Go Outside: You’ve been staring at the same piece of paper for half an hour. Nothing is coming. You make a couple half-hearted attempts, scribbling and erasing. The trash is devouring crumpled balls of paper. What to do? Go outside. Even better, get moving. Studies find that walking increases creativity and personally, I can vouch for that. The artistic problems that dog me at my drafting table invariably find resolution on a long walk.
Think of your creativity like a two year old who WILL NOT BUDGE. Turn around and pretend to walk off? The two year old will come running along. But no amount of pleading or threatening will get that kid to move otherwise. You have to start to walk away to effect change. So think of inspiration like an inflexible toddler. Begin to walk off and it will come find you. Also, this is 110% not me advocating for unattended minors. You get it, but I feel like I just have to throw that caveat out there…Fill Up the Tank: You can’t give what you don’t have. So fill up your creativity with things that make you think, feel and see the world differently. I’m a big fan of films when in a creative rut. My go to movies: Amélie, Big Fish, Song of the Sea, Lars and the Real Girl, Seraphine, Everything is Illuminated (that sunflower scene!) and you can’t go wrong with the classic, North by Northwest. Visit a museum. Go to the library and look through the sections you usually skip. If you like flowers, head for astronomy. If you usually paint people, check out a book on insects.
Switch Media: Shake things up. If you usually draw, try painting. If you usually paint, try pastels. Do you knit? Try crochet. By shifting to a medium a few degrees different from your own, you force your brain to work differently, but not so much so that there’s huge potential for frustration. That said, maybe that hard break with routine is something you thrive on, in which case, put aside the watercolors and start sculpting. But I’ve found switching to a media that’s slightly different works new muscles, but doesn’t leave me bogged down by total unfamiliarity.
Interpret: The photo above is a sketch of my great-grandmother’s uncle, Jetta. In drawing his portrait, I got creative with color and texture. It’s not a slavish likeness, it’s definitely more illustrative. But using the photo as a jumping off point allowed me to approach the subject creatively, without the overwhelm of, “BUT wHAt Do I DrAW?!” Take a painting or a photo and interpret it through your own lens. Good image resources? The Library of Congress photo archives are great, but vast. But there’s some terrific curated collections on Instagram and you can find any niche you’re looking for, there. I’m partial to this collection of Romanov family photos.
Go Through Old Sketchbooks: When I’m stuck, I find this incredibly helpful. That half-finished sketch of a parakeet wearing a sweater that you drew while killing time in the dentist’s waiting room? Maybe there’s a story there. But because you drew it three years ago, you’ve probably forgotten about the bird with a pullover. You scheduled your next six month cleaning, narrowly avoided a parking ticket, then spent the drive home listening to a true crime podcast wondering if you could live on scrambled eggs for another night. Ergo, the bird flew the coop. But now that you’ve become reacquainted? Maybe it’s time to give this one another go.
Make a Playlist: Curate a collection of your favorite songs, then give it a listen. What themes pop up in the music? Is there an overriding mood present in the selections? Are there lyrics that stick in your mind, images that need to find their way onto paper? Music is a powerful motivator and when feeling creatively stuck, can definitely help get things on the move again.
No man is an island: Call your mom. Meet up with a friend. Text your sibling. 90% of the time I find creativity is something that has to be unearthed alone. But sometimes? You need other people added into the mix. A good conversation can get your head going in a different direction. Nice people = mood booster/endorphin assistance. I’ve found over the years that coffee with friends can kickstart creativity in ways that I wouldn’t expect. I’m a diehard introvert. But if I just depend on what’s in my own head, there’s no sharpening of metal, no testing of ideas.